Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S Duffy.
A patient with acute asthma developed severe sensorimotor neuropathy while being ventilated with isoflurane and receiving vecuronium and fentanyl. The neuropathy resolved spontaneously within three months of the episode. This unusual complication may result from prolonged use of inhalational anaesthesia or of vecuronium, or both.
Hippocampal astrocytes were acutely isolated by papain treatment and mechanical trituration. Astrocytes were identified by their distinctive stellate morphology and immunocytochemical staining for glial fibrillary acidic protein. The electrophysiological properties of these cells were investigated using whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques. Three kinetically and pharmacologically distinct voltage-activated K+ currents were identified in most cells; they resembled the neuronal A-current, delayed rectifier, and inward rectifier. The activation threshold of the A-current was -40 mV with a time to peak that ranged from 10 msec at -20 mV to 6 msec at 100 mV. Steady-state inactivation was observed when the holding potential was positive to -100 mV. The current was half-inactivated at -60 mV and totally inactivated at -20 mV. The A-current was suppressed by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). The delayed rectifier was activated by depolarizing pulses more positive than -40 mV and had a half time of activation that ranged from 18 msec at -20 mV to 10 msec at potentials more positive than 40 mV. This current did not inactivate during a 100 msec pulse and was suppressed by extracellular tetraethylammonium (TEA). An inwardly rectifying current was elicited by hyperpolarizing pulses more negative than -80 mV. This current was not blocked by extracellular TEA or 4-AP and was never observed in the presence of external Ba2+. Voltage-activated inward Na+ currents were never observed. Voltage-activated K+ channels may enhance the local K+ spatial buffering capabilities of the astrocyte syncytium when extracellular [K+] increases during neuronal activity.
A study is presented of ethanol labeling of irrigation fluid in endometrial resection. The introduction of ethanol labeling and intraoperative breath ethanol analysis provided an inexpensive and potentially useful means of detecting early fluid absorption during uterine surgery. The breath ethanol analyzer used was a hand-held meter; the irrigant solution was 5% dextrose with 1% ethanol. Simultaneous breath and venous samples were taken from women undergoing endometrial resection. An increase in breath ethanol was positively correlated with fluid absorption, blood ethanol, and serum glucose. This technique may prove valuable in preventing fluid overload during endometrial resection.
Gerontophilia describes a specific sexual inclination towards the elderly and may at times explain the sadistic attacks made upon them. The case of a homosexual gerontophile who was engaging in assaulting old men is reported here. An attempt has been made at understanding his offending behaviour and possible treatment options proposed.
This study investigated electrosurgical techniques in vitro with emphasis on the tissue effects and heat transfer through full-thickness blocks of excised uterine tissue. Uterine morphometry was also examined. The 7-mm cutting resection loop was associated with a surrounding zone of thermal necrosis between 1.07-1.40 mm. There was no variation in this zone when power was altered, but a statistically significant increase was demonstrated with duration of exposure. A depth of destruction of 3.24-3.49 mm was possible with the desiccating coagulation technique, but fulguration achieved a depth of only 1.70-1.78 mm. A greater tissue effect was demonstrated as time intervals were increased. There was a fall-off in the measured rise in temperature with distance; at 4 mm from the active electrode, a mean rise of 4.5C was noted, whereas at 12 mm the mean temperature rise was 3.9C. There was a statistically significant increase in the mean temperature as power output in the cutting mode was increased. At 180 W, the mean rise was 2.0C but by 260 W, it was 3.9C. When the time interval was increased and the power held constant (220 W), a mean rise of 2.5C was recorded at 1 second, compared with 4.6C at 5 seconds, achieving statistical significance. Power increments in the coagulating mode did not alter the temperature profile, but increasing duration of exposure was associated with a significant rise in mean temperature (from 0.8 to 4.6C). A stepwise increase in the baseline temperature was noted with repetitive insults. The mean myometrial thickness of the anterior and posterior walls measured 1.8 and 1.9 cm, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A review of the CO2 laser in the current management protocol for squamous cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is presented. The laser provides the clinician with a versatile instrument that enables accurate application of biophysical insults to the full range of CIN lesions likely to be encountered. Side effects and cure rates compare favourably with the alternative methods of local destruction presently available. The final benchmark of success of all such treatments will remain the prevention of subsequent invasive cancer as observed on long-term follow-up. It should be noted that for some of the methods discussed such information is not yet available.
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During fetal development, murine and human B-lineage cells rearrange and express a highly restricted set of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region genes (VH genes). We noted that a VH gene of the restricted human fetal repertoire, designated 51p1, potentially could encode the VH region of two human IgM rheumatoid factor proteins. These rheumatoid factors share a cross-reactive idiotype (CRI) defined by reactivity with G6, a murine monoclonal antibody that recognizes an antibody heavy chain determinant present on many human IgM autoantibodies, particularly rheumatoid factors. Recently, we found that the G6 CRI also is expressed frequently by neoplastic CD5 (Leu1) B cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma. However, neoplastic CD5-negative B cells from patients with lymphomas of follicular center cell origin rarely express this CRI. Here, we report that G6-reactive leukemic cells from two unrelated CLL patients express a VH gene that shares greater than 99% homology with a rearranged VH gene previously isolated from the leukemic cell DNA of another CLL patient and that is identical to VH 51p1. Using the polymerase chain reaction, we find that this VH gene is rearranged, and presumably expressed, in the genomic DNA of all examined cases of G6-reactive CLL or small lymphocytic lymphoma. Thus these data indicate that the autoantibody-associated G6 CRI is a serologic marker for a conserved and developmentally restricted VH1 gene that is expressed at high frequency in CD5 B-cell malignancies and early B-cell ontogeny.
Concentrations of amino and organic acids, phosphate, sulphate, gluconic acid and gluconolactone were measured in amniotic fluid samples which contained either normal or raised hypoxanthine concentrations. In this way, the effect of mild fetal ATP depletion could be determined. The effects of this mild asphyxia were to raise concentrations of phenylalanine, tyrosine, lysine, glycine, phosphate, sulphate, gluconic acid and glucono-1,5-lactone. However, concentrations of a variety of other metabolites were unchanged; thus no diagnostic confusion should arise with organic acidurias in mild asphyxia in contrast to the biochemical mimickry produced by severe asphyxia. Since clinically normal parturition can produce changes in amniotic fluid, urine from newborn or cord blood may not reflect the metabolic balance in utero.
A normal range for IgG1, IgG2, and IgG3 subclasses has been established for children aged 6 months to 5 years using commercially available monoclonal antisera. Of particular interest were the very low concentrations of IgG2 in some healthy children, a finding which casts doubt on the importance of IgG2 deficiency reported in some patients with otherwise unexplained infections. It was not possible to construct a normal range for IgG4 values probably because these segregate into two populations in normal subjects.
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Studies were made in urine obtained from people attending for routine measurement of blood pressure in a screening programme. Subjects with diastolic blood pressure between 95 and 109 mm Hg excreted significantly more sodium than the group with diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg. Urine volumes, potassium excretion and creatinine excretion did not differ significantly between the groups.
1. Total exchangeable sodium was measured in rats by a radio-sodium equilibration method, before and after the production of hypertension by clipping the left renal artery, with or without contralateral naphrectomy. 2. Clipping of one renal artery with removal of the other kidney produced severe hypertension with no significant changes in exchangeable sodium or plasma renin levels. 3. Clipping of one renal artery without contralateral nephrectomy produced severe hypertension in some animals, but little change in blood pressure in others. The animals which developed severe hypertension had a marked increase in exchangeable sodium with a concomitant rise in plasma renin; the animals with smaller rises in blood pressure did not have these changes. 4. The fact that both plasma renin levels and exchangeable sodium levels increase according to this method, suggests that hypertension in the two-kidney model is renin-dependent.
1. The blood-bathed organ technique was employed to study the effects of angiotensin II and catecholamines on an isolated everted rat aorta bathed in the extracorporeal circulating blood of adult dogs and cats. 2. When the injections were made into the bathing blood close to the everted rat aorta, angiotensin II was half as potent as adrenaline or noradrenaline on a molar basis. 3. After intravenous injections, the vasoconstrictor potency of angiotensin was twenty times that of adrenaline or noradrenaline on the everted rat aorta. The increase in potency was due to the interaction of angiotensin II with catecholamines on the preparation. 4. Intravenous phenoxybenzamine abolished the potentiated vasoconstrictor effect of angiotensin II on the blood-bathed everted rat aorta, but it did not abolish the pressor effect of angiotensin II on the cardiovascular system of the animals. The results suggest that catecholamines released into the circulating blood by intravenous angiotensin II do not play an important role in the pressor effect of angiotensin II.
1. Urinary sodium excretion and plasma renin activity have been measured in a group of persons with untreated mild hypertension and in a control normotensive group. 2. Preliminary analyses of the data indicate that the daily sodium excretion was significantly higher in the hypertensive group but the plasma renin activity did not correlate significantly with the urinary excretion of sodium. 3. These findings suggest that sodium intake was significantly greater in a population with mild hypertension than in a comparable normotensive group.
The effects of ischaemia on adenylate energy charge of tissues from fetal rats and fetal guinea pigs were measured. Adult rat and guinea-pig tissues, as well as human placentae, were also studied. The largest differences observed were between the fetuses from different pregnant animals (P = 4.74 X 10(-15). Reductions in energy charge in placentae were slower than in other defined fetal tissues, especially brain. In the rat, an immature species at birth, greater 'stability' was observed in placentae of 14 days of gestation than near term at 20 days of gestation. As contrast, in the guinea pig, a mature species at birth, there was no difference in 'stability' in placenta or other fetal tissues between about 40 days of gestation and near term, about 60 days of gestation. In addition to these tissue and maturity effects in the fetus, it has been confirmed that fetal tissues are more 'resistant' than adult tissues to failures of energy supply. Concentrations of adenosine, uridine, guanosine and cytidine nucleotides in placenta show similar patterns in rats and guinea pigs. Fetal liver contains more uridine nucleotides and brain more cytidine nucleotides. It is suggested that the placenta retains an early fetal ability to maintain itself during ischaemia; this might be advantageous during parturition. Possible endocrine and other mechanisms 'damping' fetoplacental metabolism are linked with a discussion of the large maternal effect.
The transfer of lactate across the human placenta was investigated using an in vitro dually-perfused placental preparation. Using a novel technique, the unidirectional flux of L-lactate was found to be linearly dependent on L-lactate concentration. In addition, unidirectional transfer rates were found to be the same in both maternal-to-fetal and fetal-to-maternal directions at the same lactate concentration. Transfer of [14C]L-lactate was decreased by approximately 15 per cent in competition with unlabelled L-lactate. Stereospecificity and permeability experiments demonstrated the existence of a transfer mechanism which could distinguish between the L- and D-isomers of lactate. Our data suggest that, while a stereospecific carrier for lactate exists in the perfused placenta, the bulk of transplacental lactate transfer takes place by non-carrier-mediated diffusion.
To establish if BTV was circulating in Argentina, 94 bovines from the Santo Tomé and Ituzaingó Departments of Corrientes Province were sampled every 30-60 days during 14 months. Red blood cells from those animals that showed seroconvertion with a c-ELISA were processed for virus isolation by inoculation in embryonated chicken eggs and cell cultures. Cells with CPE were positive by direct and indirect immunofluorescence with BTV specific reagents. These samples examined by electron microscopy showed virus particles with BTV morphological characteristics. Blood samples and tissue culture supernantants were positive by RT-PCR technique with primers corresponding to the segment 3 of the BTV genome. Haematophagous insects were captured in one farm using light traps and Culicoides insignis Lutz was the predominant species detected. This is the first isolation of BTV in Argentina from northeastern bovines without any disease symptom.